


Lipstick On A Camera Lens

by just_plain_fanfics



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, M/M, keith is a journalism and photography major, lance is a cosmetology major, no homophobia bc this is a fictional world why would i do that to them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-02-04 10:12:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12768837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_plain_fanfics/pseuds/just_plain_fanfics
Summary: Keith has a project due in a few weeks. With no inspiration and low hope for the assignment, he runs into Lance, who changes all of that.





	Lipstick On A Camera Lens

**Author's Note:**

> hi!!! i got carried away and wrote a pretty long oneshot :')

Keith is exhausted. He needs about nine shots of espresso, stat. Well, he's not actually going to get that because he doesn't have that kind of money. Still, he needs caffeine. After taking photos all day, he still has nothing, not even the slightest bit of inspiration. He stands in line at the small cafe he usually frequents, flipping through the photos on his camera. So lost in his worries, Keith almost doesn't hear when the barista at the counter clears their throat. Looking up sharply, he lets the camera fall back against his chest, hanging from the strap and swinging slightly. Keith steps up to the counter, his eyes widening as they fall on the beautiful guy there.

What Keith immediately is drawn to is the light pink lipstick that tints the barista's lips, making them look even softer, and Keith finds himself thinking a bit too hard about what they might feel like against his own. Tha camera feels heavy on his chest, and his fingers twitch towards it, as he stares. What a beautiful thing that would be to photograph. The contrast of the barista's skin and his lipstick, the flawless way it's been applied, Keith bites his lip to contain his excitement. The barista truly is beautiful, unruly dark brown hair, and piercing blue eyes that stare right back at Keith. The usually ugly navy blue apron somehow works on the boy, hugging his hips. He must be a new barista, as in all the times Keith has been to the cafe, he's never seen him before. Keith swallows, scratching nervously at his wrist. The barista's tag reads as 'Lance', and Keith has to take a moment to collect himself before looking back up at Lance.

"Uh, yeah, sorry." Keith hesitantly steps closer, feeling his chest flutter slightly when Lance smiles at him. His fingers itch to hold his camera and snap a shot of that brilliant smile. Clenching his fists tighter, he resists the urge and faces the stunning boy again.

"It's fine! What can I get you today?" Lance leans up against the counter slightly, and Keith has to stop himself from stepping backwards. He's too close. Keith can smell the cologne on him, a sweet scent, and not too overpowering.

"I'd like a medium dark roast in a large cup, please." Keith glances to the side as Lance nods and takes down his order.

"Why in a large cup? That's a weird thing to do." Keith stares at Lance, narrowing his eyes and frowning. Lance seems to see that he's upset and quickly holds up his hands in defense. "Just asking, man."

"I'm going to add milk to it after, so I need room for it in the cup. The milk is to cool it down so I can drink it quicker without burning my tongue." He looks away as he speaks, wondering if it really is that weird of a thing to do. Lance seems to consider his answer, eventually shrugging in defeat.

"Meh, I guess that is a pretty alright idea. Still weird though." Keith can't help it- he laughs at that, a snicker falling past his lips. He quickly stops, covering his mouth with the back of his hand and looking back at the barista with an embarrassed tint to his cheeks. The barista, however, has a slight blush of his own dusting his cheeks. Lance- Keith means, he really needs to remember his name. He's pulled out of that thought by Lance's soft voice, asking about his order.

"To go or to stay?" Keith would love to stay, but his photography calls. He had almost for about it, while talking to Lance, but it really is urgent. The project is due in about two weeks, but for Keith, that's not nearly enough time. Sighing, he finally responds to Lance.

"To go, please." Lance smiles and nods, but Keith is sure there's a bit of hesitancy behind his eyes.

"Sure thing. Can I get your name?" Lance looks hopeful, and while Keith usually isn't one for small talk, he finds himself keeping up with Lance anyways. He's also glad that he's the only one in line, even if he avoids asking himself why that is.

"Keith." Lance smiles again at his answer, he seems to be doing that an awful lot, and Keith wonders if it's something he does for every customer.

"Awesome. So, Keith, you got somewhere to be?" Lance starts on his drink, turning away from Keith a fraction.

"Yeah, I've gotta find something that inspires me." Keith lifts the camera a fraction, shrugging his shoulders. "Photography and journalism major, and all that."

Lance seems to nod along with his words, a small smile on his face. "Have you found anything inspiring yet?"

"Well..." Keith glances nervously down at Lance's lips, before looking away again. Scratching the back of his neck, he nervously wets his lips with the tip of his tongue.

"Yeah?" Lance seems to notice how he stutters, leaning on the counter slightly more.

"I-I like your lipstick. Sorry if that's weird to say." Keith nervously chews at his lip, fiddling with the strap of his camera.

"No, uh, that's- that's really nice of you to say." Lance presses a few more buttons on the machine, and then slides Keith's finished coffee towards him. He motions for Keith to take it. "I already put milk in it for you, too!

"I'm actually a cosmetology major myself, like makeup and all that, so I'm glad you think it's nice. Uh, would- would you want to take some pictures?" Lance continues after he gives Keith his coffee, looking just about as nervous as Keith feels. His stomach does a flip at Lance's words, and his eyes have an excited spark to them.

Keith slides some cash over to Lance, waving the change towards the tip jar when Lance offers it back to him. So preoccupies with this, he barely registers what he hears.

"You would let me?" Keith's eyes shoot open, staring at Lance. He can see how Lance would be a professional, the flawless and barely noticeable way his makeup is applied makes even more sense now. Keith's never paid too much attention to makeup, other than what his brother had done in the past, he's only ever slightly appreciated the aesthetic of it.

"I offered, didn't I? My shift is over in-" Lance pauses to check his watch, "fifteen minutes. If you don't mind waiting, you could take some photo's then?"

"Sure! I-I mean yeah, that's be great. I'll just... go grab a seat." Keith shoots Lance a small smile, quickly walking over to one of the booths in the cafe.

Waiting there, Keith finally takes in the atmosphere of the place. It's nice, so nice Keith wonders why he never noticed it before. It's probably because usually when he comes in, it's just to grab his coffee and go, so he's never really had the chance to look around. It's a modern place, lots of hard wood mixed with tile and so many plants. The plants are everywhere, on each table, hanging from the low ceiling, and Keith loves it. He quickly takes he lens cap off his camera, holding it up and snapping a few angled pictures of the plants. They have nice contrast, the bright greens and yellows against the wood, and Keith smiles. For the first time in a while, he feels some stress melt off his shoulders. Taking a sip of his now lukewarm coffee, Keith smiles.

"Thanks for waiting! Do you wanna go somewhere to take the pictures?" Lance pops into Keith's view, and he startles a bit. He quickly regains his composure, taking another long drink from his coffee before setting it down.

"Nah, I was actually thinking we could do it here? The cafe is beautiful, and it has a really great atmosphere. Do you think the manager will mind?"

Lance waves away his worries, telling him, "Don't worry, I'm friends with the manager and I'm sure he won't mind!"

"That's awesome." Keith shoots Lance a grin, looking down at his camera and flipping through a few settings to get to the right one for the lighting. He won't need as fast of a shutter speed as he did for his last assignment, as this one will be staying mostly still. He hopes, anyways.

"So uh," Lance squirms in his chair nervously, "I don't know exactly what i'm doing, I've never been a model before..."

"Don't worry, it's fairly easy. I'll guild you through most of it, too." Keith gives Lance a reassuring look, lifting his camera up slightly. "I was thinking of doing some close-ups where all you see is from just above your lips to just below them, and whatever happens to be in the background. I'll probably do a few head shots too, but a bit later."

"Uh cool, I'll just sit still then?" Keith nods, sliding closer to where Lance sits in the booth.

"If you could purse your lips just a tiny bit, that'd be great." Keith adjusts the zoom on his camera, looking through the view finder at Lance's comically puckered lips. "Not that much!"

"Haha, fine. Is this good?" Lance puckers them significantly less, so much that you can hardly tell he's pursing them at all. It looks natural, and the photo comes out perfect. The contrast with the white walls and green leaves in the background against the stunning light pink lips is gorgeous, and Keith smiles down at the camera.

"Perfect."

"Then can I see?" Lance moves so he's pressed against Keith's side, and Keith holds the camera so he can see it too. He hears Lance gasp, the little hitch in his breath as he sees the picture. "That looks amazing! It's a lot nicer than I though it would be, no offence."

"None taken, I'm glad you like it." Keith turns off the camera, moving back a bit to face Lance. "Thanks for letting me do this. Is there any way you'd want to do it again?"

"Of course! If you come back tomorrow at this time, you can take some pictures of the look I do for the day! I try to do something different every single day, but I sometime end up cheating and doing something similar."

An idea takes hold in Keith's mind, and he turns to Lance, grabbing his shoulders and looking him in the eyes. Lance seems shocked, and opens his mouth to say something before Keith interrupts him.

"Can I come by everyday to take a picture of your makeup? I just think it would make a really cool project and you could also practice your makeup at the same time and the theme of it would be super cool? Like "two weeks of makeup" or something! Then I can write about the cafe and the makeup when I do the journal part of it! Of course, you don't have to or anything!"

"Sure, I will! It sounds really fun, Keith, I'd be glad to help you." Lance sticks out his hand, and Keith looks at it in confusion. "A handshake man, to seal the deal!"

"Oh, uh, yeah." Keith clumsily grasps Lance's hands- warm and smooth, Keith wonders how he's kept them this soft- shaking it once before letting it drop, far sooner than he would have liked.

"I look forward to working with you then, partner!"

Keith leaves the cafe with high spirits, a grin on his face. His camera swings as it hangs from his neck, the bounce in his step moving it back and forth. It's been a hell of a day, and Keith couldn't be happier.

 

The next day Keith returns to the cafe, trying not to show how how eager he really is. He walks up to the empty counter casually, waiting for someone to come out. Looking around, Keith smiles, thinking of how much he can't wait to see what Lance has done today.

"What's got you smiling like that?" Keith jumps slightly, surprised by Lance's voice right next to him all of the sudden. He flushes, heat rising in his cheeks. Shaking his head to both dismiss his thoughts and Lance's question, Keith finally turns to face Lance.

He's mesmerized, the sharp black eyeliner capturing his eyes and his heart. His eyes look elegant, smooth and sleek, and Keith can't help but gasp. The colour on his eyelids is light, barely noticeable unless someone were to specifically look for it. There's not too much colouring on Lance's lips, just a shine to them that makes Keith's heart race. Eventually, he realizes he's staring, and rushes to close his gaping jaw.

"Is this- Is this look okay?" Lance blinks, looking down to the side, giving Keith another perfect view of the perfectly applied eyeliner. He doesn't think he's ever seen his brother do it that well. Before he realizes it, Keith has already brought the camera up to his eyes and taken a photo.

"It's perfect." Keith smiles at Lance bashfully, scratching at the back of his head as he tilts the camera so they can both look at the picture.

"Wow, Keith. That looks amazing, and not just because I'm in it. How did you know to get the picture then?" Lance looks up at Keith, his cheeks a light pink colour as he grins. Keith feels his cheeks darken, and he struggles to find an excuse, rather than telling Lance that he was completely floored by how amazing Lance looks.

"Uh, I don't know? Just a feeling, I guess." Keith rubs at the back of his neck, nervously threading his fingers through the hair at the back of his neck.

"Do you still want to take some more pictures then? I can get you a coffee, too." Keith nods almost right away, a shy smile on his lips. "My friend is just in the back, his shift starts in a few minutes."

"Sure, I could probably use a few outtakes from each day to choose from. And I'll get the same coffee as yesterday." Lance rings up his price, waiting patiently for Keith to fish his wallet out of his pocket and hand him some cash.

"Of course you will." Lance rolls his eyes playfully, and then turns away to complete Keith's drink. "Go find a seat. I'll be over with your coffee in a minute."

Again, Keith finds himself zoning out at the small booth next to the counter. Lance looks really good today, Keith thinks, chewing at his lip thoughtfully. The eyeliner suits him, and really brings out the blue of his eyes. Keith glances back to the counter, just in time to see a short girl walk out of the kitchen, still tying their apron. Must be Lance's friend, the one he said would have their shift next. Keith meets Lance's eyes from across the room, startling when Lance grins and starts walking quicker over to where he sits. He places the two drinks on the table when he gets there, taking a long drink from his before speaking.

"So? Is there another way you want me to pose?" Lance leans forwards on the table, his head propped up in his hands. Keith flushes, the same light pink as always lighting up his cheeks.

"Uh, just act natural." Lance fixes Keith with a bored stare.

"Wow. So helpful." Sighing, Keith shakes his head and begins to explain again.

"Take a breath and relax. Drop your shoulders, and I don't know, look off to the side somewhere. Part your lips slightly as if you're about to say something." Keith raises his camera, watching for an opening as Lance follows his directions. Lance opens his mouth, probably to ask if the pose if alright, and Keith snaps a picture.

"Wait was that it?" Lance falters, breaking his position to turn back to Keith.

"Yup. Looks great." Keith smiles down at the camera, the moves it towards Lance.

"Nice! You're really great at this, Keith." Lance's genuine words make Keith flush, his heart beating double time.

For the rest of the afternoon, Keith and Lance talk. They talk about everything and nothing, about the universe and about themselves. They make insignificant small talk, and they try not to notice how they're both blushing. It's easy, Keith finds, taking to Lance. It's like they've known each other, making jabs at each other and joking around. Then Keith realizes, it's Friday. Lance only works Monday through Friday. What should he do? He obviously still wants to meet up with Lance, both for the pictures but also just to hang out.

"So uh, about tomorrow..." Keith trails off, glancing down at his hands.

"Oh yeah! Um, you wanted to do a look everyday, right? So we should meet up again?" Keith doesn't want to believe the hope he hears in Lance's voice.

"Yeah, I'd like to do everyday but if you're busy or anything then we don't have to, of course!" Keith's voice raises at the end ,and he holds his hands up in defense. He doesn't want to pressure Lance into this, he wants Lance to have as much as he does.

"No, I'd like to," Lance smiles, "do you want to meet up at the park a few blocks from here? If that works for the photos, of course."

"Yeah, that'd be perfect! Same time as always?" Keith feels a weight disappear from his shoulders, and he tries to hide his grin.

"You bet!"

 

Another day brings another makeup look, and yet another time Keith is stunned to silence. This time, Lance wears a bright red lipstick that makes Keith swoon, and he finds himself struggling to rip his eyes away from Lance's lips.

Keith takes out his camera when he sees Lance, sitting on one of the old benches there. He takes a picture from afar, a nice still for a photo spread, he thinks. When he gets closer he can see Lance eating a cake-pop, and he feels his cheeks grow warm. Lance must have noticed him standing there, as he lifts his hand to wave Keith over to the bench.

"Hey, Keith!" Lance smiles as Keith sits down next to him on the bench.

"Hey." Keith nods at Lance nervously holding his camera in his hands. Would it be too weird to ask Lance to pose with the cake-pop for the picture? Keith bites his lip as Lance brings the cake-pop up for another bite, finally stopping him at the last moment. "Wait!"

"Uh, yeah?" Lance freezes with the treat just next to his mouth, and looks back at Keith.

"Can I...take a picture with you and the cake-pop?" He knew it, it really does sounds weird. Keith looks to the side briefly, wondering if he should just brush it off and keep going as usual.

"Sure, is this good?" Lance poses with the small cake hovering just above his tongue, his dark red lips parted slightly and his head tilted at an obscene angle. Quickly taking the picture, Keith wonders how Lance managed to make eating a cake-pop look so lewd. It's the look in his eyes, Keith decides, the daring look Lance throws at the camera. Shit, that's hot. He finally looks up at Lance, ears burning.

"Yeah, that's- that's really good." Keith knows his face is red. He knows it, and he's prepared for Lance to think he's a weirdo and call him on it. But Lance doesn't, when Keith looks up at Lance again finally he's met with a blinding smile and the empty stick from a cake-pop.

"I'm glad. So, you wanna walk around for a bit?"

Keith says yes, of course, and spends the rest of the day walking around the beautiful park, talking to Lance and sneaking pictures whenever he can. Lance catches him, most times, elbowing him in the side and making a joke about how irresistible he must be. Keith laughs, but he knows that both of them are blushing. By the time he gets home, he can barely contain his happiness, muffling his excited screams into a pillow. His camera and heart both close to being full, he can't wait until tomorrow, remembering the promise to meet Lance at the same spot again.

As he drifts off into a soft slumber, Keith smiles, wondering if this is what it feels like to begin to love someone.

 

The next day goes almost the same as the day before, with Keith spending the afternoon walking around the grassy park with Lance. Today Lance wears what he calls a 'nude look', with barely any noticeable colours on his face at all. His lipstick even, is a light hue, similar to what Keith would assume his lips look like without makeup. Keith takes the picture when Lance is mid rant, this time, snapping the shutter as Lance is about to say something else about his ill-tempered stage makeup prof. Lance blushes, when he does, right before giving an indignant squawk and wrestling for the camera. He agrees to keep the picture Keith took, as long as Keith buys him an ice cream from the truck nearby. Agreeing, Keith wonders to himself if Lance might be asking him on a date, or if his imagination is running wild again.

When it comes time for them to go separate ways, Keith wishes they could just stay there forever, walking around the park and insulting each other.

"Hey, you'll be at the cafe tomorrow, right? My shift ends the same time as always." Keith can't help it, he smiles, a grin spreading across his cheeks.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world." And Keith means it, watching Lance's eyes light up and his cheeks flush a light pink. 

"Awesome."

 

Siting at home, Keith pulls another wafer from the package at eats in it two quick bites. This one was chocolate, of the three types he had bought from the store earlier. It wasn't his fault, he had only really wanted to get the chocolate and dulce de leche ones but three is such a better number than two, so he bought the strawberry ones as well. Keith sighs, eating another one, strawberry this time. Picking up the camera Keith flips through the pictures he's taken of Lance, and he feels his cheeks heat up.

Keith chokes, the dry wafer getting stuck in his throat. He coughs, setting his camera off to the side while he grabs a drink of water to clear his throat. Lance truly is breathtaking, it seems. Keith smiles, breathing out a long sigh. He takes the moment to stretch, and then remembers he's still wearing his binder. Well, there's no one else here, Keith thinks, so he might as well take it off. This way he'l be able to go to be quicker. Breathing in deeply after taking it off, Keith unceremoniously throws it to some corner of the room.

Returning to the couch, Keith barely glances at the random cooking show playing on the TV, and instead going straight back to his camera. Since it's a Sunday night, he takes the memory card out and plug it into his computer, putting all of the pictures from week one into a folder on his desktop.

A loud ringing from the couch beside him startles Keith, and he rushes to grab his phone.

"Hello?" Keith forgot to look at the caller before he picked up. He grimaces, hoping it isn't some telemarketer who's going to waste his time with some useless scam.

"Hey, little bro." Keith's worry immediately dissipates.

"Shiro!" Keith hears Shiro laugh on the other end, and he crosses his arms. "So you finally decided to call."

"Yeah, sorry it's been a while. I've been meaning to call for the longest time but I kept getting caught up in things." Shiro sighs, and Keith suddenly feels bad from bringing it up.

"Don't worry about it. I've actually been pretty busy too." His eyes wander back to the pictures of Lance pulled up on his computer screen. He rips his eyes away before he can get too lost, trying to tune back in to what Shiro is saying now.

"-ave a project due for the end of your course? How's that going?" Keith can guess what Shiro's talking about, as he'd been complaining to him about the project since it was first announced at the beginning of the semester.

"Uh, yeah, yeah it's going good." Fiddling with the zipper on his jacket Keith hopes Shiro doesn't notice how awkward he sounds. Of course, that's way too much to hope for.

"Oh really? What theme did you choose?" Keith flushes, of course Shiro had to bring this up.

"Make- makeup." Keith's voice turns to a whisper at then end, barely loud enough for Shiro to hear.

"Makeup? Wow Keith, I wouldn't have expected that. I bet it's interesting, though." Shiro sounds excited, which is never a good thing. Just as Keith is about to nod along and change the subject, Shiro asks the dreaded question. "So what made you choose makeup?"

"Uh, well, I met someone and I guess it just happened?" Keith closes his eyes and breathes out a sigh, wishing that Shiro weren't so nosy.

"Wait a minute, you 'met' someone?" Keith could hear the teasing note to Shiro's voice, and promptly ignores it.

"Yes Shiro, I met a living person."

"A cute person? A cute guy, perhaps?" Keith flushes down to his neck, mad that Shiro can tell so easily.

"Shiro! It's not like that! He's probably straight!" Keith knows that's not true, and he can almost hear Shiro rolling his eyes.

"Really Keith, you think a boy, presumably the one into makeup who 'inspired' you to do a project on makeup, is straight?"

"I don't like to stereotype! And even if he is into guys, I doubt he's into me." Shiro snickers on the other end of the line.

"What happened to 'it's not like that', huh?" Keith scoffs, and Shiro has a few last laughs at Keith's suffering before moving on to his brotherly speech. "Still, if he's been sticking around you for that long, he probably likes you to some degree. Ask him out, kiddo. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Keith rolls his eyes, and the conversation moves elsewhere.

Keith ends the call half an hour later, with mixed feelings. He's glad he got to talk with Shiro since their time zones and schedules rarely meet up, but it's only led to more questions about Lance. Should he really try to ask Lance out? Maybe eventually but right now... Keith doesn't want to make things awkward with his assignment if Lance says no.

Still thinking hard, Keith goes to bed, tossing and turning until he falls asleep.

 

There are sometimes, when even Keith doesn't want coffee. Like now, a Monday afternoon, twenty minutes before Lance's shift is supposed to end. He stands outside the coffee shop, wondering if he's too early, and if it would be weird to order something different this time. Checking his phone one last time- besides the time, it hasn't changes since the last time he checked- Keith steps inside the small cafe and walks up to the counter.

It's not Lance at the counter this time, and Keith feels a rush of anxiety surge through him. Meeting new people is always like that, and it makes Keith feel slightly more self-conscious about his appearance. He's wearing his binder today, and it's not like he's dressed any differently than usual, but the irrational fear is still there. Swallowing down those fears, he keeps walking towards the counter.

"Hey, what can I get you today." The young girl at the counter seems tired, but it's not like Keith can blame them. After seeing them up close, Keith recognizes them, as the same barista that had a shift after Lance one of the days he had come by last week.

"I think- I'll get a medium earl grey tea and a blueberry muffin, please." He steps towards the register, pulling out his wallet and handing his card over. A few moments later, he's standing at the other end of the counter, waiting for his drink.

"Here you go, have a nice day." Keith bites his lip, and before he can stop himself, he opens his mouth to speak again.

"Wait!" The barista turns back to look at him, a confused look on her face. "Uh, I was just wondering... Do you know if Lance is working today?"

"No, he called in sick this morning. Why do you ask?" Keith swallows, wondering if it was because they had ice cream yesterday when it was slightly cold out. He hopes Lance is okay, and it's nothing serious, but Keith can't help but worry.

"We- I'm his friend. I was supposed to meet him here today. Is he okay?" The short barista seems to regard Keith with a calculating stare before sticking her hand out for him to shake.

"My name is Pidge. I'm a friend of Lance's, and it's just a cold so I'm sure he's be back in business tomorrow." A friend of Lance's. Keith feels relieved, honestly, knowing that if she's a friend of Lance's. He smiles at them, and gets a small grin in return.

"I'm Keith. Lance and I met just over a week ago, and he's helping me with a project." Keith reaches out and shakes Pidge's hand, letting go only to grab his tea and take a sip.

"Oh, now that you mention it, I think he said something about someone who would be waiting for him. He said to give you his address so you could 'come by if you want.'" Pidge makes air quotes at the last part, deepening her voice and making a face. Keith snorts, it's a pretty decent Lance impression. Then he remembers what she said. Lance's place. He could go to Lance's place. Keith's heart stirs in his chest, a faint blush tickling his cheeks. Coughing, he turns back to Pidge.

"Uh, sure. I might as well, I mean, since I'm already here." Scratching the back of his head, Keith starts to pull his wallet out again. "Can I get a medium caramel frappe with extra whipped cream? With a sealed lid please?"

If he's going to be taking his motorbike to Lance's place, he's going to need a lid on the drink. He turns back to Pidge to see a smirk on her face, and she mutters a quiet "you're extra whipped." Keith ignores her.

"It's on the house, just tell Lance he owes me. And here's his address." Pidge slides both the drink and a napkin with a messy scrawl of an address on it over the counter. Finishing up the last of his own drink, Keith throws the cup in the trash and grabs the address, Lance's drink, and the bag with the muffin.

"Thank you, Pidge. It was nice to meet you." He smiles, and turns to leave. Keith hears Pidge call out one last thing, and he slows his steps slightly.

"Nice to meet you too, Keith. Maybe we'll see each other again sometime."

Keith smiles once again, heading out through the door and to his bike. Fitting the items so they'll be secure, Keith gets on the bike and starts off towards Lance's house. Lance's place. He's going to Lance's place. He can feel his cheeks getting hot, and he turns his attention back to the road.

Pulling up along the street, Keith finds parking not too far away from what he assumes is Lance's apartment building. Lance is on the second floor, so Keith climbs a flight of stairs and walks along a hallway of identical doors before stopping at room 2105. He knocks, wondering if Lance will even be well enough to answer.

"Keith?!" The door swings open, and a disheveled Lance pokes his head out. His makeup is smeared, grey eye shadow smudged and tracks where eyeliner and mascara have run down his cheeks frame his face. His bright red lipstick is messy too, the corners uneven as if the lip pencil broke in the middle of drawing it on. Keith thinks he looks beautiful.

"I'm so sorry I'm sick! My makeup is awful and I kept you waiting, I'm so so sorry!"

A snap.

A picture taken, with the camera Keith had almost forgotten was around his neck until now. Keith had snapped a picture quickly, capturing a still of a desperate looking Lance and his runny makeup. Lance freezes, his expression something of mortification and hope.

"I'm sorry you aren't feeling well, Lance. And, uh, sorry for taking that picture, I can delete it if you want. You look amazing, the way the colours mix and the way it smudges looks amazing and dramatic, and it definitely tells a story." Keith scratches he back of his head, looking bashfully up at Lance.

"You- You don't have to delete it. But I don't want to see it this time, I already know how shitty I look." Lance folds his arms over his chest, frowning. "Here, come inside where it's warmer."

"Ah, thanks." Keith steps further into the apartment, wiping his shoes on the mat before sliding them off.

Looking around, Keith follows after Lance, walking with him to Lance's room. It's a small room, but it looks like it's been hit with a tidal wave of clothes, book, and anything else. It's a mess. But Keith finds it adorable.

"Yeah, I know, it's messy. Sorry about that." Lance steps over a stray pair of pants, crossing the room and taking a seat on the edge of his bed. He motions for Keith to join him, patting the bed beside him. Keith hands him the drink, almost forgotten in his hands.

"Here, this is for you. Pidge says you owe her. And it's no problem, my room isn't too much better." The last part isn't true, Keith's room is much better. Stupid OCD, only helpful for maintaining a slightly more organized room. Lance takes the drink from him, nodding thankfully.

"Thanks man. Pidge'll let me off the hook, I'm sure."

Keith thought it would be awkward, and maybe he was right, for the first few minutes. Then they got settled in and it was like normal, just their friendly banter and usual conversations. Keith finds out that Lance has a cat, a guest that makes an appearance after sometime. She's a grey cat with bright blue eyes, fittingly named Stormy. Keith falls in love with her instantly, and who's to blame him if he takes a few pictures of the cat as well?

"Are you going to replace me with my cat?" Lance throws an arm over his head, collapsing back against the bed. Keith snorts from where he is on the floor, playing with the cat.

"Not yet, though I might consider it. Can she do makeup as well as you can?" Keith smirks, listening to the way Lance squawks in protest.

"No! She can't do makeup at all, so you can't replace me!" Lance sits upright, coming down to sit next to Keith on the floor. Keith chuckles, punching his shoulder lightly.

"Don't worry, I won't replace you. Speaking of makeup, though, can I see where you keep yours?" Keith moves a hand to his camera, looking up at Lance.

"Uh, sure? It's a mess, though." Lance laughs nervously and runs a hand through his messy hair. Keith tries not to stare.

"That's perfect." Keith follows Lance into the bathroom, and blinks in surprise when he comes to a stop in front of the sink. When Lance said it was messy, he wasn't lying. A part of Keith itches to clean it up, organize it, put all the right brushes together and line them up in the right order, but he ignores that in favour of grabbing his camera. A few clicks later, Keith has some aesthetic angle shots of Lance's messy collection.

Soon enough, it's time for Keith to leave. Not that he wants to, of course, but it's late and he still has other homework to do and dinner to make. He says goodbye to Lance, awkwardly standing by the door as Lance puts on his shoes.

"I'm going to walk you out! It's what polite people do!" Keith rolls his eyes.

"Lance, the only other person who does this is my brother's mother. It's weird." Keith thinks back to Shiro's mother, always making Shiro walk him out to his bike when he comes over. It's polite, she tells him, but she also tells him she just wants to embarrass Shiro. She's like a mother to Keith, but not quite as close.

"Well, whatever. Hurry up and lead the way to your car or something." Lance huffs, standing beside Keith in an over sized hoodie, his shoelaces only half done up. He looks adorable. Keith turns away, walking out towards where his bike is parked.

"I don't have a car, Lance. It's a bike." Lance looks confused, his eyebrows raised.

"You rode a bike here? How did you get here so fast- Oh." Keith looks at Lance out of the corner of his eye, watching his reaction. Lance's jaw drops open, a faint blush rising in his ears. Keith smirks. "Oh. Oh, you meant a motorbike. Oh, shit."

"What did you think?" Keith hops on, tugging his gloves a little tighter and gripping the handle bars a few times. He turns back to face Lance, who's staring at the ground, his ears red. "Anyways. I'll see you tomorrow? Will you be at work, or should I come here?"

"I'll be there. See you then, Keith." Lance smiles, and Keith turns away to hide his blush. Driving away, he may or may not rev his engine more than necessary, knowing that Lance is watching.

 

The week goes by quickly. Too quickly, Keith thinks as he enters the coffee shop on the Sunday before his project is due. This is the last day he'll need a picture from Lance. Tomorrow he'll hand in his portfolio, and give his sketches and notes to his professor. He's excited, of course, but he's also sad it's over. Gripping his camera in his hands, he steps up to the counter.

Lance is working today, taking an extra shift to cover for Pidge. Keith smiles when he sees this. He walks towards Lance, sliding up to the counter to talk to him.

"Hey, Lance." Lance smiles back at him.

"Hey yourself. The usual?" Keith grins. Its not unusual for Lance to remember orders, but it still makes Keith's heart sing.

"Sure."

Lance looks amazing. It's like he's outdone himself every single day, but the dark red lipstick with the copper touch has Keith swooning. There's glitter under his eyes too, sparkles that look like tears. Keith tries to blink away the redness in his cheeks. He grabs his drink from where Lance has put it for him, and making sure there's no one else in line he pulls Lance aside.

"Hey, can you stand by the window for me? I wanna get a picture with your sparkles." Lance nods his head, a hesitant smile on his lips. He starts to take off his apron, but Keith stops him. "Uh, don't take the apron off. It looks fine."

"Okay then. Your call." Lance gives him a hesitant smile, one that Keith returns.

Lance moves to stand by the window, looking out into the park beside it. Snapping a photo, Keith moves even closer for another one. He reaches out, tilting Lance's head slightly back to face him. Oh, shit. He really didn't think this through. He's now face to face with Lance, staring straight into his eyes. he looks away quickly, somewhere else. At his lips. At the almost sinful colour there, and the way Lance's tongue flicks out to wet them.

"Why-why are you staring at my lips?" It's a coarse whisper, Lance's voice rough and low. Keith swallows.

"Uh, nice shade of lipstick?" He can't fool Lance. Still, Lance plays along, huffing out a laugh. Keith can feel his breath on his lips.

"Oh yeah? You wanna try some on?" Keith's eyes go wide, and Lance steps closer. Oh.

And then Lance is kissing him. Soft dark red lips move against his own, and Keith finally snaps out of his daze. He moves his lips gently against Lance's, bringing a hand up to cradle his face. He feels Lance sigh into his mouth, and the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. They pull apart, faces flushed.

"That was- wow, that was really something." Keith almost laughs at Lance's wrecked expression, but he knows he must look the same. Chuckling slightly, he finally meets Lance's eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah, it really was." His eyes flicker to meet Lance's gaze, and then break it again. "Can I- can we do it again?"

"Yeah. Yes, god, please." Lance moves to stand even closer to Keith, holding the back of his neck as Keith pulls him in for another kiss. When they break away, they're smiling.

"Shit- hah, your lips!" Keith touches his lips, wondering what Lance is pointing at. Staring back at Lance, he pouts. "They're red! My lipstick must have been smudged when we kissed."

Keith watches as Lance turns bashful at the end of the sentence, he himself blushing a little bit. He brushes his fingers against his lips, looking at the faint red that stains them. Without wasting another moment, Keith grabs his camera.

Snap.

Again, Keith snaps a picture of Lance, slightly redder lips and flushed face. His pupils are still dilated and well, while it's not completely obvious to all, some people might just get that he's been kissing if they look carefully at the picture. Keith bites his lip to keep from smiling, and turns the camera around to face himself. It's a difficult feat, but he keeps his hands steady as he takes a picture of his own stained lips.

Turning back to Lance, they share a grin. Keith leans forwards once more, pressing his lips soundly against Lance's cheek. They leave the slightest hint of red.

"I've... been wanting to do that for a while." Keith scratches at the back of his neck as he steps back a bit, trying to gauge Lance's reaction.

"Me too." Keith can't contain how happy he is. He wants to shout, he wants to tell someone, everyone. He wants to kiss Lance again. He doesn't, this time more mindful of the few people still in the cafe, even if there still isn't anyone at the register.

"Hey, all the photos are going to be put in a gallery, once I hand in my project. Is there any way you would want to go to see that with me?" Keith nervously shifts from foot to foot, feeling the weight of the camera in his hands.

"Of course I would!" Lance beams, and Keith finds himself blushing. He quickly pulls out a piece of paper, handing it over to Lance.

"Here. My number, so you can text me." He nods at Lance, who smiles and nods back.

"Thanks. Still though, going to a gallery full of my own face is gonna be weird." He cracks a toothy grin, and Keith chuckles. "Even if it all has makeup."

"You don't even need makeup to look beautiful. I love the way you look, with and without." Lance's face lights up with a bright flush. Punching Keith's shoulder lightly, he steps back towards the register. 

"Stop being stupid. Anyways, I need to get back to work. I'll text you later, yeah?" Lance looks up at Keith, his eyes bright. Keith takes one of his hands, holding it in his own. He squeezes it lightly once, then lets go. 

"Of course. I'll see you soon, Lance." He kisses Lance one more time, pulling away slowly and making his way back to the cafe doors. A flustered Lance is left behind him, red cheeks and a small smile tugging at his lips. 

If Keith gets a boyfriend and an A+ grade on his assignment, well, he deserves it. And he couldn't be happier.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope y'all enjoyed this!!


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